Safe and Sound
by RinSabreDelta
Summary: Every night, Kait's son Tony has a conversation with his hero, Superman. Not that the man ever answers...until he shows up for dinner.
1. Chapter 1

Hearing the murmuring coming from her son's room, Kait smiled. Every day, little Tony would tell his friend "Superman" all about his day: what had happened at school, what plans they had together as a family, and even inviting Superman to dinner. Of course, it was all imaginary, but given that the hero actually did exist, she saw no harm in letting her son have his way. It was nice for him to have a male role model, even if that man had no idea either of them existed. As she made her way around their small kitchen working on dinner, she could just make out Tony offering his usual invitation to dinner. It was spaghetti night, one of his favorites, and she gave a small smile as she set out three places at the table. Even if the man himself never showed, Tony was always more than happy to pretend he had. A knock at the door pulled her from her usual routine, and she frowned at the intrusion. Wiping her hands on a dish towel, Kait strolled to the door, dreading that it may be her overly pushy neighbor trying to convince her to go on another date.

"Brad, I already told you..." The words died on her tongue as she gaped at the impossibility in front of her. A rather sheepish looking Superman stood at the door, hands clasped behind his back. It took her a moment to find her voice. "Um, Superman? Is this...like a candy gram?" That drew a chuckle from the man, easing a bit of her nervousness but none of her confusion. He slowly offered a hand, and she took it slowly.

"Afraid not. I heard from Tony that it's spaghetti night again, and I was hoping to join you both, if it's no trouble." She blinked, taking it all in. Actual Superman was standing at her door, asking if he could join them for supper. She nodded, her mind finally catching up.

"Oh! Of course, sure, Mr...Superman." She stood off to one side and waved him in, noting how much taller than herself he was. She gently closed the door behind him, leading him to their little eat in kitchen. "Make yourself at home. Dinner is almost ready." He nodded, settling into the seat Tony usually saved for him, and she briefly wondered just how much he knew. She turned back to the stove, trying not to feel too self-conscious about the hero in her kitchen.

"Momma, is it dinner time yet?" Tony came running into the room, and she turned just in time to see his eyes widen at their guest. Superman gave a warm smile, turning in his seat to face her son fully.

"You must be Tony." Again, he offered a hand, and Tony was quick to grab it. Instantly, her son's excited chatter filled the air, bringing a smile to her face as she finished dinner. Soon enough, the spaghetti was served, but it didn't interrupt the flow of conversation between her son and his hero. Kait was content to simply watch the interaction, making a mental note to somehow repay the man for making her son's night like this. Dinner seemed to pass quickly, and soon enough it was time for Tony to head to bed. Though he complained, all it took was Superman offering to tuck him in to get him to acquiesce, and Kait realized she may well invite the hero over more often. Her soon safely tucked in bed, Kait began to clean up, surprised when Superman appeared next to her.

"May I help?" He sounded so unsure, and it was somewhat endearing she nodded, and together they washed and dried the dishes in comfortable silence. With the added help, the task didn't take quite as long as usual, and soon she was showing him to the door.

"Thank you so much for coming tonight. You have no idea how happy you made him tonight." Kait smiled up at Superman, and he gave a warm one of his own in return. She could see why he was so popular; as if being a hero wasn't enough, he was also quite handsome.

"It was my pleasure, Miss...?" Feeling like a fool, she realized she hadn't told him her name.

"Kait, is fine. And please, feel free to stop back anytime." He nodded, dropping his gaze as he seemed to consider her words. And then, as suddenly as he'd arrived, he was gone, and she was left to wonder just how her son had gotten so lucky.


	2. Chapter 2

Kait wasn't sure what she expected, but two weeks later she found herself letting Superman back into her apartment. And so it continued, every two weeks on spaghetti night, much to Tony's enjoyment. After dinner, he would tuck Tony in and help her with dishes before flying off into the night and she began to wonder just how the two of them had gotten so lucky. At least, it had certainly seemed lucky, until the day Kait was called into the school. Tony sat with an ice pack over his eye, with another little boy and his parents nearby. She hurried to her son, murmuring to him and making sure he was okay, before they were all called into the office.

"Ms. Wright, it seems a fight broke out between your son and Zach here over a story your son told." Kait arched a brow, ready to go into full mama bear mode.

"A fight? Is that why my kid is the only one with an injury?" The other mom looked insulted, but Kait wasn't about to back down over this.

"Ms. Wright, it's not about that. We need to talk about Tony's penchant for lying." In that moment, Kait knew she would try to find a way to transfer her son.

"What exactly is it you're accusing me of?"

"Tony has been claiming he's been spending time with Superman, of all people. Frankly, it's been causing quite the issue." Kait sighed, looking to her son and seeing fresh tears in his eyes.

"I see. In that case, I suppose I'll need to sue the school," the principal at least looked shocked, "as well as the parents of the other child," at this she glared at the other mother, "and make sure the papers hear about how my child was assaulted and subsequently punished for it." Standing, she held a hand out to Tony, who took it tightly in hand.

"I don't think that would be necessary-"

"Sue us? Because your son instigated a fight?" That sent Kait over the edge. Crouching down, she gave Tony a tight smile.

"Tony, go wait for mommy in the car, okay? You can turn the radio to whatever you want." He nodded and hurried away. As soon as he was gone, her smile faded, leaving a rather pissed look in it's wake that she directed towards the other parents. "Your son is a bully and you're just damn lucky he isn't old enough for me to be pressing charges. If he so much as looks at my son again, I'll have you two slapped with a restraining order so fast his children will feel it." Feeling as though she made her point, Kait stalked out of the office and headed straight to her car, careful to keep her face as neutral as possible for Tony's sake. The ride home was silent, until they made it inside the apartment where Tony pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you mom." His little voice sounded so broken that she nearly cried, but she knew she had to keep it together for him. Giving her own tight hug, she tried to pour every ounce of her love and care into him.

"Anytime sweetheart. I'll always be here for you, okay?" He nodded, and she finally released him. "Now, I'm going to try and find you a new school. A better one. Okay?" He nodded, and she smiled. Fetching him a new ice pack from the freezer, she sent him to watch TV in the living room while she began to look into private schools nearby. When she was convinced she had a decent list to look into, she began dinner. Faintly, she could hear Tony talking in the living room, and she was half-hoping he wasn't telling Superman about today's events. Just as she was setting the table, there was a knock at the door, and she sighed.

"Is Tony okay?" Superman's concern for her son was touching, though not the first thing she expected upon opening the door. Kait nodded, closing the door behind him and glancing towards the living room. Whatever was on seemed to have her son distracted for now.

"He has a black eye and I pulled him from school. Other than bruised pride, he's okay." There was a tension in Superman's shoulders that seemed to disappear as she spoke. "Thank you for coming. It'll mean the world to him."

"I am so sorry, Kait. I didn't mean to cause trouble." She gave a smile, reaching up to pat his arm gently. He honestly seemed to feel guilty about this, though she would never blame him.

"It's not your fault, Superman." He nodded, though he didn't seem to agree. "You can stay for dinner tonight, though it's not spaghetti. I hope that's okay."

"That's just fine. I'll just hang out with Tony until it's ready, okay." She nodded, gesturing towards the living room before making her way to the kitchen, getting back to work on dinner. She hoped Superman would like macaroni and cheese; it was Tony's favorite, and he deserved it after the day he had. When she called for dinner, both of them came quickly, and she was relieved to see Tony smiling and happy as he chatted with the hero. There was no more mention of the day's events for the evening as Superman tucked Tony in and assisted with dishes, thanking her once again for dinner. He didn't leave immediately, instead seeming to pull a business card from nowhere and handing it to her.

"Clark Kent. Who is this, exactly?" She looked back up at him.

"A reporter friend of mine from the Daily Planet. In case you decide to tell the world about what happened today." There was a part of her that wanted to, if only to let other parents who took their kids there know just what to expect. She gave a smile, pocketing the card.

"I'll certainly consider it. Thank you again for coming. I think you made his day so much better." Superman nodded, his own smile forming at the compliment, before leaving. With a deep breath, Kait headed to bed, knowing she would have a long day of phone calls come morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Kait had a sitter take Tony for the day, focusing on finding him a new school and considering Superman's offer to have Clark Kent look into it. The man was a legitimate reporter for the _Daily Planet_ , and he seemed to cover a lot of local stories. She called a few of the private schools to schedule walk throughs before calling him, surprised when he answered quickly.

"Clark Kent, _Daily Planet_." His voice was fairly official and she cleared her throat.

"Hi, Mr. Kent. My name is Kait Wright. A, um, mutual friend suggested I call you about an incident at a local school with my son." There was a pause from his end for a few moments before he responded.

"Ah. Right, he said you might call. We could meet for lunch, if it's no trouble, and discuss it?" With a small smile, she agreed, detailing with him a diner she liked to frequent somewhat near downtown. As soon as she was off the phone, she was getting ready, putting on her professional best and making sure her first impression was a good one. She arrived at the diner before he did, getting a booth towards the back away from everyone else and perusing the menu. She only looked up when a throat cleared above her, shocked to see Superman standing there in street clothing and glasses. Blinking, she took his offered hand and gave a shake, doing her best to hide her surprise. As he sat down, she gave a look around, noting nobody else seemed to notice.

"Thanks for coming, Mr. Kent." He nodded, his smile still on his face as he sat across from her. She cleared her throat, attempting to keep things normal. "So, um, basically, my son Tony was attacked at school and the school was going to punish him for it rather than the child that assaulted him." Clark nodded, beginning to take notes. The waitress stopped at their table and they paused to order before continuing.

"When you say they were going to punish him, what exactly does that mean?" Clark hadn't looked up from his pad of paper.

"They said my son was facing discipline for lying. All because a child got to meet his hero." She sighed, turning to look out the window. She could feel Clark staring at her, and for a moment felt bad. "Not that I blame...him. Superman has been such a bright point in Tony's life." Kait glanced from the corner of her eye, taking in the light blush that had formed on Clark's features. "I just hope he doesn't see this as a reason to stop visiting. Of course, I'd understand as well."

"I'm sure he'll keep visiting." She turned to see Clark had re-trained his gaze onto the paper, focusing on it more than was probably necessary. Holding back a smile, she watched as the waitress brought their drinks.

"It would mean the world to both of us if he did." There was a moment of silence before Kait decided to take advantage of meeting a new side to the hero. "So, Mr. Kent, how are you today?" He seemed surprised, setting the paper aside.

"Oh, um, I'm alright, thank you." He gave a smile and she couldn't help but give one in return. "And how are you, Ms. Wright?"

"Doing better." She took a sip of her coffee before speaking again. "And you can just call me Kait."

"In that case, feel free to call me Clark, ma'am." They made small talk as their food arrived, and by the end of the meal, Clark had had a few suggestions from the school's she'd looked at and Kait felt like she'd made a new friend. They parted ways with another handshake, and as Kait headed home she couldn't help but wonder if she should tell Clark that she knew he was Superman. Judging by the way he had been talking, it was clear it was a secret; if it made him feel better for her not to know, then she would pretend she didn't. Clark insisted on accompanying her home, noting how dangerous the city could be, and she was more than happy to allow it. They stopped outside her building and she offered a hand.

"Thank you again, Clark." He took her hand firmly in his, nodding.

"It's my pleasure to help, Kait." There was a hesitation and she noted a bit of uncertainty in his gaze. "Would you like to get dinner sometime?" Shock wound through her at the idea that the handsome hero would be asking her out and a somewhat silly smile came over her features.

"I'd like that. Just...call me, okay?" He nodded, looking all the more excited at the idea. They parted ways with cell phone numbers exchanged, and Kait let the excitement she felt shine through right up until Tony got home. He easily noticed his mother's disposition.

"Momma!" They shared a hug before Kait paid and dismissed the sitter. "You're happy today. Did Superman come over?" The boy genuinely looked sad at the idea he may have missed his hero and she shook her head.

"No, but his friend did. He simply made mommy feel better is all." Tony nodded, seeming to think that over.

"When can I meet his friend too?" She led Tony to the living room, getting his favorite show on for him.

"Well, maybe soon. Okay?" Tony nodded, seeming satisfied with that answer and she left to get his snack together. Left with her thoughts, she wondered when would be a good time to tell Clark she knew his secret. Hopefully, it wouldn't end in tears for anyone.


End file.
